


Extended Metaphors, I Get Carried Away

by jannika



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-19
Updated: 2012-10-19
Packaged: 2017-11-19 17:17:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/575696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jannika/pseuds/jannika
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An AU in which long time couple Liam and Zayn try to set their friend Louis up with a nice guy because they love him and they worry. And because it might be nice if he'd sleep in his own apartment for once. Niall has a possibly imaginary girlfriend, Zayn has a job that is more of an internship, Liam is a believer in the arts, Louis doesn't need an intervention, thank you very much, and Harry is well, Harry is pretty amazing, sprained wrist and all. Or the one where everything goes wrong but maybe that's okay in the end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Extended Metaphors, I Get Carried Away

**Author's Note:**

> Um. Because I didn't just write 8,000 words of Jazz Era AU, I clearly also needed to write this? I think possibly I just wanted to write something a little lighter, because Jazz Era AU is awfully sad in a lot of ways? So, 9000 words in Louis voice with a very happy ending, just because. ~~This takes place in Philadelphia. I have no reason for this and it has no relevance to the plot at all. But.~~ This idea entered my head and I could not stop writing it. For all of you, because you're pretty amazing yourselves, and for the Liam to my Zayn and my very favorite girl, [](http://folkloric-feel.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://folkloric-feel.livejournal.com/)**folkloric_feel**.

 

The thing is, though, Liam and Zayn are being really fucking terrible right now. Like, they are being absolute dicks and Louis really, really does not feel he has to sit here and take this from people who are supposed to be his very closest friends. Honestly. This is ridiculous.

"This is ridiculous," Louis says, because he has had a long day, and just because they made him dinner and just because their faces are all concerned does not mean he needs to listen to this.

"We just worry," Liam says, delicately, spreading butter on his bread and looking to Zayn for like, moral support or whatever, "we want you to be happy."

"I'm happy," Louis says, and if he gulps wine when he says it, well. Maybe if Zayn would stop looking at him like that he wouldn’t need to, okay?

"Do you know that there were three separate times this month that you fell asleep in our bathtub with the bathroom door locked?" Zayn says.

"You've been counting?" Louis says.

"You also slept on our couch four times and in our bed once," Zayn says.

"Not that we don’t love having you," Liam says, "you know we do, but like, your own apartment is so nice."

"Why would I be there alone when I could be here with you guys? You'd be bored without me!" Louis says. And like, maybe he shouldn't fall asleep in his friends' bathtubs, maybe that's weird or whatever, but the way Liam and Zayn are talking you'd think they were all about a million years old. Old and boring and fuck that. Which actually, he thinks is a fair point. "Besides, just because you two have been together for a fucking lifetime doesn’t mean we all have to start living like adults or something."

"Lou, you are an adult. You have an apartment. You have a job. You make more money than we do combined," Liam says. Louis shrugs because his job is just, he just, he knows he is exceptionally well paid and that he'd probably really lucked out, but then he's not sure what good being a sort of maybe in some circles famous-ish host of a web entertainment news site is if his life still consists of being lectured by Liam and Zayn over dinner. He should have gone to Niall's. They'd have ordered in, but he'd be getting drunk, not lectured.

"That's only because Zayn refuses to get a real job," Louis says.

"Yeah, maybe fuck you," Zayn says, scowling.

"Zayn has a real job, you just have a better job than any of us," Liam says.

"Yes but my line of work is so fragile! What if my looks go tomorrow? What if they like, shut down the internet?" Louis says.

"Why are you being so difficult?' Liam says.

"Why are you two having some sort of Louis-intervention?" Louis counters, crossing his arms.

"We're just trying to set you up on a date or two, I don't think that qualifies," Liam says.

"I am perfectly capable of getting dates all on my own, thank you," Louis says. And that might sort of be a lie because he doesn’t so much get dates as he gets phone numbers he doesn't call and gets a night or two with a lot of sex and not much talking, and he gets drinks bought for him and he gets- whatever. The point is that he doesn't really see how Liam and Zayn would have any better luck than he's had for years.

"Two of the dates you've found yourself in the past month have led directly to the locked in our bathroom thing," Zayn says.

"What makes you think you'll do any better finding me someone?" Louis asks.

"Because we'll be finding them sober?" Zayn suggests, low and half under his breath, almost like he hadn't meant for Louis to hear. Liam shoots him a reprimanding look and Louis sort of draws himself in and then stands up because he did hear that and he's fucking done.

"I don't need this," Louis says, heading for their door.

"Louis," Liam says, pleading and concerned and all those other Liam things. Louis ignores him.

"Don't, I didn't mean, I'm sorry," Zayn says. Louis ignores that too and storms out, but not before he hears Liam say,

"Well, fuck," and Zayn say,

"I'll go," after him. Which he knows means he's about to be followed, and he should probably run or call a cab or something just to show them. But like, he doesn't really want to go home and Zayn is always good with passing him cigarettes and occasionally weed when he feels apologetic about something, and Louis is very much up for that. He stops outside their apartment building and waits around the side, by the wall he knows is Zayn's smoking wall.

"That wasn't fair," Louis says when Zayn approaches, hands in his pockets.

"I know," Zayn says.

"I hate you a lot," Louis says. Zayn leans against the wall next to him and sighs.

"I'm sorry, about all of it, I mean, we just worry, Lou," Zayn says, passing Louis a cigarette.

"Because I only make decisions drunk, apparently?" Louis says. It's not like Zayn was _wrong_ about that, exactly, but it's still terribly unfair and not true all the time and like, coming from Zayn of all people it's even worse because there was a time when making poor drunk decisions together was one of the top five bonding activities in their friendship. Which was generally when they'd call Liam to come clean up or whatever, and that was about when Liam and Zayn had started looking at each other the way that they still do now. So. Louis is certain it's not his fault that Zayn is all domestic now or whatever.

"Because you don't seem happy," Zayn says.

"I don't see you trying to fix Niall up," Louis says as Zayn lights their cigarettes.

"Niall isn't miserable, or sleeping in our bathtub, or single, actually. You know he met someone," Zayn says.

"Who we haven't met, so I still think that might be a lie," Louis says.

"Yes, because Niall invents fictional women all the time," Zayn says, rolling his eyes a little.

"He could have started so that you two don't try to stage some sort of romance intervention on him too!" Louis says.

"Look, I'm sorry we like, ambushed you, okay? But we just, there isn't a not awkward way to tell you we've been keeping an eye out for guys for you, yeah? It's not like we want you to meet every single guy in town or something, there are three and we've like, fucking screened them for you and there is one that I really- you'll like him, I promise," Zayn says. He's rolling his cigarette back and forth in his fingers, and Louis knows that means he does feel bad and that's. It's not, Louis knows they mean well, he really does, and he also knows that he has made some really bad choices, but he also just. He still thinks being set up by them is a terrible idea.

"Yeah? Where did you meet him? Louis asks.

"At my fake job," Zayn says dryly. Louis runs his free hand through his hair.

"Right. I was a dick to you first, wasn't I?" he says. Zayn grins.

"You were ambushed," he says.

"I was," Louis says.

"Seriously, we just, worry," Zayn says.

"Shouldn't you like, I don't fucking know, be encouraging me to find myself and believe in myself if you're worried about my love life, not setting me up?" Louis says, "Isn't that how these things go?"

"That's not what your problem is, though," Zayn says.

"My problem is my constant lack of sobriety?" Louis throws back.

"I didn't mean that, but it's like," Zayn stops and sort of sighs and takes a really long drag on his cigarette and says, "you love being in relationships, you get all happy and then we're all happy and it's great but like, you haven't in forever because you don't- it's like you've stopped trying and you just keep, not with the talking and the dates parts, that's fine sometimes, but it's been awhile, it's been awhile and if you were happy I swear we wouldn't care. I swear we're not those fucking people who think everyone needs monogamy to be happy or whatever, we're not, but- you sort of do. You're not happy. Are you?" Zayn says.

"So you two sit around and talk about me?" Louis asks, ignoring Zayn's question because it makes him squirm a little. Zayn still isn't wrong, he's not wrong in a way that's sharp and that hits Louis in places that hurt and Louis needs more than a cigarette right now.

"Of course we do, how could we not?" Zayn says.

"Three of them?" Louis asks.

"You don't even have to go out with all of them, Liam wants to like, set it up so you meet all of them and choose?" Zayn says.

"You want me to speed date before I blind date?" Louis asks.

"If things were different you'd do it for either of us," Zayn says, and that, actually, is fair.

"If I do this and it all goes terribly, which it probably will, you'll leave me alone about it?" Louis asks.

"Sure," Zayn says.

"Fine," Louis says, because Zayn is looking at him all concerned and like, he would do it for either of them, and because part of him thinks it's really sweet that they care this much, and because he has been absolutely shit at the whole love life thing lately, and because they do both have excellent taste, and because if it doesn't work out he'll be able to hold it over them forever. He does, however, still really want something more than a cigarette. "I don't have to show up for filming till one tomorrow," he says.

"I'm not in till two, so?" Zayn says. Louis bites back another comment about Zayn's job, because they're being nice at the moment and because he doesn’t think it would help his cause any.

"So what else do you have in those magic pockets yours tonight and how much would Liam lecture us if you do have something?" Louis asks. Zayn grins,

"Li's off tomorrow, actually," he says.

"On a Thursday?"

"Yeah, it's like, I don't know, some arts or teacher something? No work for non-profit employees day or some shit? I have no idea, but he's off. So," Zayn says.

"This is why you guys never have money," Louis says, fondly. Actually, Liam has the most proper job of all because of course he does, he's in development for this bringing arts to schools foundation, assemblies on appreciating music and all of that. He says sometimes, while then they're all several glasses of wine or several shots in or passing a joint among them that they're always losing bookings to PSA-type just-say-no things, and he'll punctuate with an extra gulp or drag, because Liam like, really believes in how all art and such changes kids' lives and he'll say that we they need is to have interests, not to just be told what they can't do, and Zayn will look at him like that's the wisest thing anyone has ever said in the history of time and it's all very. Endearing, actually. Even if doesn't make them much money at all, and even if Liam has random Thursdays off, and even if Zayn's art studio job that is probably more of an internship than anything doesn't really contribute that much money at all- they are really, sickeningly happy, actually. They both like, love what they do and are as in love with each other as ever and fuck, maybe they are real adults these days.

"Or it could be all that extra we spend feeding you two nights a week," Zayn says.

"A necessary expense, really," Louis says.

"So you're coming back in, then?" Zayn asks.

"You have something in your pockets?" Louis asks, grinning and tugging at Zayn's pockets. Zayn grins back.

"Top of the dresser, actually. And there are cookies."

"Excellent," Louis says. He throws an arm around Zayn and they walk back inside, and Louis still isn't feeling wonderful about this whole setup thing, but tonight as a night is about a thousand percent better than it was, so he'll take it.

***

Two days later there are six people in Liam and Zayn's apartment and a text from Niall that says he'll be over later and it's all some sort of bizarre mixer to fix Louis' life and he might be sitting in their bedroom and telling Liam he's not doing it.

"They're all already here," Liam says.

"They don't have to know I'm here," Louis says.

"I think they figured it out," Liam says. Louis throws himself back on their bed and sighs.

"Why did I let you talk me into this?"

"Because you just have to talk to people, you're good at that, it will be okay," Liam says.

"It won't," Louis says.

"Come on, we're leaving Zayn out there to be social all by himself and that never goes well," Liam attempts. Louis allows himself a small smile at that.

"Maybe he'll scare them all away for me," Louis says. Liam sits down on the bed with him and reaches out to rub Louis' neck and shoulders a little, comforting and fucking wonderful, really.

"We'll kick them all out if you hate them, I promise," Liam says.

"Are you trying to massage me into submission here?" Louis asks.

"Did you want me to stop?"

"God no," Louis says. Liam grins.

"Just go talk to them, we think, I mean, there is at least the one that- you'll like him," Liam says, his hands digging into Louis' muscles.

"Yeah?" Louis asks.

"Yeah, Zayn knows him better than I do but he's sort of great and I really- we already like him, that counts for something, right?"

"The one from Zayn's job?" Louis asks, arching up into Liam's hands a little.

"That's the one, he doesn't work there though, he just comes in a lot for his job?" Liam says.

"What does he do, then?" Louis asks.

"You should go out there and ask him," Liam says. Louis groans.

"Which one is he? And if he's so great why are there two more of them?" Louis asks.

"He's Harry, but the other ones are great too, and I thought it might be less awkward if there were more, like that way it's not just a setup?" Liam says.

"Does this look less awkward to you?" Louis asks.

"I don't know, you're not out there yet," Liam counters, still working on Louis' shoulders. Louis sighs again.

"Okay," he says. He doesn't move yet, mostly because then Liam would stop, but they did go to a lot of trouble, and Zayn probably is floundering out there without them, and he did already agree.

"You'll like them," Liam says, grinning. Louis nods.

"Liam?" he says.

"Yes?"

"But, what if they don't like me?" he asks, because Liam is Liam and Louis can ask him that sort of thing, and because he feels like it's a very really possibility here. And because if it is the case he will hold Liam personally responsible.

"They will all adore you, you're a catch," Liam says.

"You don't know that," Louis says.

"Anyone who isn't at least a little in love with you is not a person I understand at all, and we'd just have to kick them out and neither Zayn or I will ever speak to them, or of them, again, okay?" Liam says. He stops his hands and holds them out to Louis who takes them and allows himself to be pulled up.

"Do you think Niall would ban then from his bar too?" Louis asks.

"It wouldn't be the first time," Liam says.

"Okay," Louis says again. He stands up and Liam beams at him and they make their way out of the bedroom.

Zayn does in fact, look miserable trying to keep everyone moderately entertained and Louis shoots him an apologetic look before taking a deep breath and looking over the three guys he doesn’t know in the room. He winces a little because one is already out, right off the bat.

"What?" Liam whispers, seeing his face.

"That one over there is out," Louis says, pointing.

"Why?" Liam asks.

"Because I've already slept with him," Louis says. Liam flushes.

"Oh, and you don't like, you don't want to repeat that or anything?" Liam asks.

"Not even a little," Louis says.

"Right," Liam says, scurrying over to Zayn to whisper something and the two of them head over to the guy, and fuck, Louis should probably remember his name, but, honestly Louis doesn’t even remember how much he'd liked him at the time, he has no idea if they'd talked for hours first or if they'd just sort of headed to the nearest dark corner after a few significant glances and several shots. He does remember they had never even made it a bedroom, and he just. Can't with that. Liam and Zayn appear to making awkward excuses and trying to get the guy to leave, and Louis wants to avoid that as much as possible so he surveys the other two and beelines for the sexy one and puts on his best smile.

"Hey there," he says. The guy smiles back, warm and friendly. He's got this mess of hair and these sort of ridiculously bright eyes and he's fidgeting with his hands and his smile is the kind that hits Louis somewhere in the chest and yeah, looks wise anyway, Liam and Zayn did a fucking excellent job on this one.

"Hi, I'm Harry," the guy says, and Louis feels himself grinning brighter. This is very, very promising.

"I'm Louis, but you probably knew that, I'm guessing?" Louis says. Harry laughs and, damn, it's a very good laugh.

"I did know that, it's good to meet you," Harry says. His voice is all deep and his words are all slow and Louis is, well, he has to give them some serious credit here, because Harry is already the best thing that's happened to him in months, just by existing and by being interested in men.

"So what did they say to get you here?" Louis asks.

"Zayn talks about you all the time, actually, and I'd met Liam a couple of times when we were both down at the center at the same time and I sort of, they asked me some very pointed questions and I assumed this was some sort of set up, but," Harry shrugs, "I like them and you're friends with them and they made you out to be sort of perfect. So here I am?"

"I should probably talk to them about talking about me to total strangers," Louis says, grinning.

"In all fairness, Zayn and I had several conversations before he brought you up," Harry says.

"You had several conversations with Zayn?"

"Yes?" Harry questions.

"Zayn just doesn't like most people enough for that," Louis says.

"Is that a vote in my favor?" Harry asks.

"Definitely," Louis says, "So how am I living up to their stories?"

"Well, I also looked you up, your show? So I had your interviews and stuff to go on, too," Harry says.

"And?" Louis asks, pleased that Harry had looked him up, pleased that he already has that in his favor too. He may have lucked into it, and he may downplay it a little, but like, Louis is damn good at his job, he's good on camera and he knows it.

"You're exceeding expectations," Harry says. Louis beams.

"What do you do that you're in the center all the time?" Louis asks, Harry grins and reaches out to put the drink he'd been holding down, a flash of skin on his arm showing when he does, and, _oh_ , because those are tattoos that peek out and Louis is. He is very okay with that.

"I do marketing for a radio station? I make a lot of posters and fliers and their printers are better than anyone else's. I use the screenprinting sometimes too," Harry says.

"Yeah?" Louis asks.

"Yeah. The printer tried to kill me the first time, which is how I met Zayn, he saved the day," Harry says.

"It tried to kill you?"

"My fliers anyway. It ate them and it was like, sparking and I had a deadline and Zayn swooped in and hit one button and it was fine. I still don't know what I was doing wrong that day," Harry says. Louis laughs.

"Louis?" Liam says coming up behind them, "Did you want to, um?" Liam makes a gesture with his eyes toward the other guy in the room who is talking to a bored-looking Zayn.

"No," Louis says.

"No?" Liam echoes.

"Not at all, actually," Louis says. Liam bites his lip, but then looks between Harry and Louis and smiles.

"Oh, well. Good?" he says.

"Very good," Louis says. Liam smiles again and then steps away, leaving Harry and Louis alone again.

"Am I exceeding expectations too, then?" Harry asks.

"By leaps and bounds, honestly," Louis says. Harry beams at him.

"You're much cuter in person," he says.

"Am I?"

"You are. And I thought you were incredibly attractive on camera. So," Harry says. Louis actually blushes a little at that.

"Incredibly attractive, really?" he says.

"Incredibly," Harry says.

Liam and Zayn are possibly the best friends anyone has ever had.

***

"So we're going out tomorrow and he's like, they did really fucking good you know?" Louis says, gulping down a beer and looking across the bar at Niall, who is ignoring other customers for this conversation because he's also a really good friend.

"I'm glad," Niall says.

"Do you think they were right and I needed setup?"

"I think that if it works it doesn’t really matter, right? It could have been super awkward and shit, but if you like this Harry guy, then it's good," Niall says.

"I do," Louis says.

"Then they did a good thing, I guess," Niall says.

"I think," Louis says.

"I'm sorry I didn't make it that night, man, we got fucking slammed here and my new guy isn't trained enough to handle that so I had to stay," Niall says.

"I get it," Louis says, "you should hire better staff, though."

"I keep trying," Niall says, "but I'll meet him soon anyway, right? I talked to him on the phone once."

"Hopefully. Did you?"

"Yeah, Liam wanted me to like, screen him or something? They were super serious about this. It was kind of cute," Niall says. Louis rolls his eyes finishes off his beer.

"Apparently I sleep in their bathtub too often," Louis says. Niall laughs.

"I'd say anytime you sleep in someone else's tub is a time too many."

"Like you've never done it," Louis says.

"Yeah, but I'm hardly a model of responsible living," Niall says.

"True," Louis says. Niall glares at him and then heads off to fill other orders quickly, promising to be right back. Louis nods and allows himself to feel hopeful again. Harry had been, well, sort of perfect and they'd talked till so late that Zayn had fallen asleep on the couch, and Louis is really looking forward to their date. Now that he has this, now that he has a proper date and that feeling in his chest, he's not sure why he's been depriving himself of this for so long. He thinks maybe he just got stuck, like maybe somewhere in between several breakups and that really terrible one he tries not to think about and in between things to just pay the bills after college turning into what all of them actually _did_ and in between Liam and Zayn moving in together just the two of them and in between becoming something of a name at most bars in town, Louis had just sort of fallen into a pattern. Not a good pattern, but it had been easy, and maybe that's it right there, he thinks. Because maybe he'd convinced himself relationships were really hard, and being an adult is fucking hard enough, so he'd been skipping that part, but he hasn't been happy, it's actually all been really shit, he actually sort of hates it. So.

"I'm glad you have a real date," Niall says when he comes back.

"I think I am too," Louis says.

"It's good, you haven't since, what was that asshole's name?" Niall asks.

"I don't remember," Louis says, which is a lie, but Niall understands and he just nods.

"He was a fucking dick," Niall says.

"I still don't remember," Louis says. Niall shakes his head, and Louis gets a flash of two years ago and how angry on his behalf Niall had been then.

"Good," Niall says, refilling Louis' glass and looking like he's angry thinking about it.

"What about you, do we ever get to meet this mystery girl of yours?" Louis asks.

"Maybe," Niall says.

"What does that mean?" Louis asks. Niall grins,

"Can't introduce people to the family too early, yeah? That's a bit serious, isn't it?" Niall says. Louis grins back and takes another long sip, full of good feelings and a slight alcohol buzz.

***

Fuck, fuck absolutely everything.

It's snowing, fucking snowing and they've been waiting at this restaurant for forty-five minutes because no one can find the reservation Louis knows he made and so they're just sitting and Louis' phone keeps buzzing because work wants him to cover some breaking news thing at the crack of god damned dawn tomorrow and Harry is wincing a lot because he sprained his wrist the other day falling on ice-covered patch of sidewalk and this is just. Not fucking going well.

"You should take something," Louis says, looking at Harry's wrist. Harry shakes his head.

"Don't want to without food. I'll get all fuzzy on you," he says, grinning like it's not a big deal but like, Louis is in pain looking at the way Harry's skin is sort of purple through the wrist brace he has on.

"I'm sorry," Louis says, "I swear I called."

"You said. And I said I believe you. Someone probably just forgot to write it down, it's fine. They'll get to us," Harry says.

"It's been forever," Louis says.

"We could always go somewhere else, somewhere a little less slammed?" Harry suggests. Louis shakes his head.

"I want to take you here," he says.

"Okay, then we'll wait," Harry says, still smiling.

"I have like, crackers in my jacket I think?" Louis suggests.

"I can wait," Harry says.

"You could have cancelled, since you're injured," Louis says.

"Did you want me to?" Harry asks, frowning a little.

"No! Fuck, no, I'm glad you didn't, that just looks like it hurts," Louis says. Harry grins again.

"It does, but I can handle it," he says.

"I broke my ankle once," Louis offers.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I fell off the stage during a community theater performance of Annie Get Your Gun, probably made it a better show, actually. Even if I was on crutches for months," Louis says.

"You fell off stage?" Harry asks.

"I did, and then Liam blamed himself because he was stage managing and he was convinced it was like, a lighting cue he could have timed better, but I think I just stepped wrong, just one of those things you know?" Louis says.

"How long have you know them, Liam and Zayn I mean?" Harry asks.

"That's how we met actually, community theater when were, god, fifteen?" Louis says.

"You guys didn't go to school together?" Harry asks.

"I went to an arts magnet, and they were in the same school but didn't know each other till theater. Zayn only signed up to paint sets to get service hours for a school requirement of some sort and ended up in every show we did," Louis says.

"Zayn sings?" Harry asks.

"Incredibly, actually. Liam too. We were a band for like, three months once," Louis says.

"Me too," Harry says.

"You too?"

"I sing, a little. We could like, after they finally seat us, we could karaoke or something, if you wanted?" Harry asks.

"Yeah," Louis says, and he's about to say more when his phone buzzes fucking again, and he makes an apologetic face at Harry and checks it to see an e-mail that informs he doesn't really have a choice about the breaking news thing, and that they're expecting to see him bright and early whether he answers or not.

"Or we could go another night," Harry says, looking over his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Louis says again.

"It's your job, don't apologize," Harry says. Louis shakes his head.

"I'm going to go see how much longer till we get seated," Louis says. He stands up and heads to the podium, where someone, who really has far too much attitude for Louis' taste, informs him that he really can't say.

"You're on the list, but since you don't have a reservation, you will just have to wait and see," the host says.

"I made a reservation!" Louis says.

"If you had made a reservation we would have it," the host snips. Louis could hit him. He just, this is fucking ridiculous. He shakes his head and heads back to Harry, who looks a little green.

"They have no idea when it will be," Louis says, sitting down.

"Oh," Harry says, wincing as he does.

"Are you alright?" Louis asks.

"I'm fine I," Harry starts, but then he sort of gulps and closes his eyes and says, "shit, I'm sorry, Louis, can we maybe just go eat somewhere else? We can come back here another time? I need, I have to take something and I have to eat and I'm sorry."

"Of course, no, of course. Fuck these guys anyway, come on," Louis says, and now he feels awful because he probably should have just done this hours ago because Harry's in pain and what is wrong with him that he didn't just take them somewhere else?

"I'm sorry, I know you wanted here but I just, it hurts a lot," Harry says, "I was trying to tough it out, but."

"No, you shouldn't have to do that, let's just go eat at the first place without a wait, yeah?" Louis says.

"Thank you," Harry says, and his eyes are sort of giant under his hair and Louis is overcome with the need to take care of him.

Which is how they end up at a fucking Chipotle of all places, because it's only a few blocks away and because they don't have a line and it's seriously the least romantic thing ever and Louis is kicking himself. They're overdressed and covered in snow when they get there and Harry looks like he might pass out and the staff is rude to them and there is a table of loud college kids in the corner who keep yelling and this is not even a little how Louis saw this night going.

"I'm sorry," he says for what feels like the millionth time while Harry swallows down his pain killers and takes large bites of his food.

"Don't be, I told you, I should have said something earlier, really," Harry says.

"This is not what I wanted from tonight," Louis says.

"It's okay," Harry says. He's still wincing, though, and Louis thinks he's probably thinking about how much he hates him now and how he should have cancelled and Louis spends the whole time they eat staring at the table and only talking to apologize over and over because he feels awful.

After, when Harry looks in less pain but now a little fuzzy, they walk back to the car and find that it's been buried in snow, because of fucking course it has. Louis pulls the shovel out of his trunk and digs out the door so Harry can at least get in, and Harry stands there and shivers and apologizes for not being able to help because of his wrist. Louis gives him the keys so he can at least turn the car on and get warm and it takes him another cold and miserable hour to get the car able to move so they can drive.

It's still snowing and he's trying to drive slow enough to not kill them and he's also trying not to panic because he doesn't know how he's going to get to work in the morning in snow like this and Harry is still just shivering and this is just. It's awful. It's like, the worst first date in history or something. Louis sort of wants to cry. He helps Harry walk in when they finally get to his place, and Harry says,

"I guess you should go before you get snowed in again?"

"Yeah," Louis says, and he turns and leaves before Harry has time to say anything else, like about how maybe they should never do this again, because he fucking gets it. Because he'd never go out with him either. He gets in his car and sends Niall a text that he's staying there because Niall's apartment is so close to Louis' job that he would walk in the morning if he had to. Niall texts back that he's not home yet but that of course Louis can, and Louis heads over.

He has a key to Niall's, right next to his key to Liam and Zayn's. He wonders if it says something that they're on the ring with his car keys and his house key isn't. He's too miserable to actually care.

***

He's not in their bathtub, at least. He's sitting in the middle of Liam and Zayn's living room and he's more than a little drunk and they're both giving him looks and he's just. Harry has called him several times but he's ignored it because he really doesn't want to hear Harry say he doesn't want to do it again, can't hear it. It will kill him more than this already does.

"What if that's not what he wants to say?" Liam says.

"How could it not be?" Louis says.

"Nothing that happened was your fault," Liam says.

"Of course it was! He was in pain and he needed to eat and we just sat there and I'm awful," Louis says.

"You're not," Zayn says.

"I am," Louis says.

"It's not your fault," Liam says again.

"It is, I ruined it. I really liked him, too," Louis says.

"Then you should take his calls," Liam says.

"I don't want to get dumped by someone I really like who I was barely even going out with," Louis says.

"That might not happen," Zayn says.

"I can't, again," Louis says, and then he lays down because why is their apartment spinning anyway? What is up with that? Liam and Zayn exchange a look and kneel down on either side of him.

"Harry's been calling me too, but I don't know what you want me to say to him," Zayn says.

"It probably hurts his wrist to text. His wrist that I made worse," Louis says.

"You did not," Liam says.

"I really like him," Louis says, "have you heard him laugh?"

"I have," Liam says, gently moving the bottle of vodka away from Louis' hand over to behind the couch.

"Are you disappointed in me?" Louis asks, reaching his now empty hands out to grab at them, so that he's touching both of them.

"Why would we be- of course not, Lou," Liam says, sounding all concerned and worried and shit.

"I always do this, remember when, I spent a whole fucking year with him, a whole year, he was here even, in this very room, and then, and then and then," Louis says, and he must be drunk because he's thinking about it. And it's not that he actually misses him, his incredible ass of an ex, it's just that now that he's probably like, permanently damaged Harry's wrist or something it all seems like the story of his life.

"You didn't do anything then either," Zayn says.

"But I must, I must because here I am," Louis says.

"No," Liam says.

"Yes, I should just, bars and like that, because that's. I'm good at that," Louis says.

"I really wish you'd just talk to Harry," Liam says.

"Can't. I ruined it," Louis says.

"I don't think you did," Zayn says.

"I know I did," Louis says, and then he closes his eyes a little and his brain sort of swims and he swears he can feel the vodka more with every minute that goes by even though he's not drinking it right this second. Weird how that happens, he thinks. "You're going to go, aren't you?"

"What?" Liam asks.

"You're, you two, you're going to leave me. Niall's going to leave, and you're going to like, I don't know, run to somewhere you could get married, Canada or something, and I'm going to be. Niall will marry his imaginary girlfriend and gone. I'll be a Louis without my Niall or my Zayn or my Liam and then, then, fuck my head hurts, my head hurts, heart hurts, and you're going, going, gone," Louis says.

"We're not going anywhere," Liam says, soothing from somewhere above him. There is a hand in his hair then, Liam's, and Louis shifts into it, and he feels Zayn sit on his other sort and arrange himself so Louis is sort of leaning into Zayn's lap. That's nice. Even if they want to leave him.

"No one is going away, Louis, we're right here," Zayn says. Words, words, words. Lies.

"No, no, but it's okay. Leaving, I should, how come I didn't fall in love with either of you? Maybe I did, both of you, maybe we should just, no, no. Leaving," he says, and like, a tiny part of him knows that is more vodka than actual words. He doesn't, the sober part of him doesn't really think they'd go away. Usually. On good days.

"You know that's not, we love you," Liam says.

"You know we do," Zayn says.

"Love you too, even if you go," Louis says. Possibly slurs. Is the floor moving? It might be. Good thing Zayn is still. And Liam, Liam's hand will keep him there even if the floor goes all the way away.

"What we even do without you? We're not going to leave on you," Liam says.

"No, but that's why, why, because Louis-intervention, get me a, a not alone, then you can go. Be a couple alone without me. Sorry I ruined it, can't," Louis says.

"Stop," Zayn says, "seriously, Lou. You're so fucking drunk, and you, listen to me for a second, yeah? Can you open your eyes for a second and look at me here?"

"Open," Louis says, opening his eyes. Oh, Zayn. Liam too. They're all cuddled with him, tangled. Nice, nice. Good friends.

"I love you and Liam loves you and Niall loves you and none of us, we all depend on you, you massive idiot, okay? We all need a Louis in our lives, alright? And even if things don't work out with Harry you will find someone and if he's not good to you the three of us will kill him because we love you, so stop. No one is going away," Zayn says. Louis blinks through the cloud of vodka.

"I'm so drunk," he says.

"We know," Liam says.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," Louis says.

"It's okay," Liam says.

"You need me? Not leaving?" Louis asks, and he has to close his eyes again, but that's okay.

"We do, and we're not, Niall either," Liam says.

"Promise," Zayn says.

"Oh. Kay," Louis says, and then the room like, swoops in around him and everything gets all like, edges and maybe it's moving again? But then maybe Liam and Zayn picked him up? He can't tell. It's moving and moving and then it's not and he's on what has to be a pillow and he's so drunk and fuzzy but he thinks he's in their bed and they're curled up with him and that's. Good.

***

There are fucking cannonballs going off in Liam and Zayn's apartment building the next morning. Fucking cannonballs and they don't stop and Louis's head is screaming at him and Zayn rolls over next to him and buries his head in Louis' ribcage, which is sort of nice but like. Cannonballs.

"I'm up," Liam says from his other side and he throws a shirt on and heads out of the bedroom and towards the door and it occurs to Louis that the cannonballs are actually knocks on the door.

That does make a little more sense.

"Louis!" Liam calls. So loudly, so damn loud.

"What?" Louis calls.

"The door is for you," Liam says. Louis blinks because he's at Liam and Zayn's and the door shouldn't be for him and his head is throbbing. God, he drank a lot last night. He gets up anyway, because maybe after they send away whoever is at the door Liam will get him something for his headache. And breakfast. That would be good. He climbs over Zayn, who grumbles and pulls a pillow over his head as Louis leaves.

"How can the door be for me?" Louis asks walking out and then stopping dead in his tracks because Harry is standing there. Possibly he should have put a shirt on. Then again, he doesn't remember taking his shirt off.

"Hi," Harry says. Liam looks back and forth between them and then says,

"I'm going to. Put on some tea. And coffee, and toast. And Lou, you probably need something for you head, yes?"

"Yes," Louis says.

"Right. I'm going to go get Zayn to help," Liam says and he backs out of the room.

"I called you," Harry says, and Louis' eyes go the brace peeking out under his coat.

"I, how is your wrist?" Louis asks, and he has to sit on the arm of the couch because his head hurts. Harry's eyes look behind him to where there are some shot glasses and empty beer bottles and that damn vodka and oh, hey, there's his shirt. Huh. Harry reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out his bottle of prescription pills.

"Need one?" he asks.

"What?"

"Your head. You were drinking when you weren't taking my calls, I take it?" Harry says.

"Um, maybe with breakfast that would be nice, actually. Why are you here?" Louis says, because he's not going to turn that down and Harry had gone to the trouble of coming all the way here.

"Because you weren't answering your phone and I don't know where you live, so this was worth a try," Harry says.

"I'm sorry," Louis says.

"For not calling me back?"

"For the worst first date ever, I probably like, damaged your wrist for life and all that snow and my job and, I'm sorry," Louis says.

"My wrist will be fine, and I'm pretty sure you can't be blamed for snow," Harry says.

"I could have checked the weather," Louis says.

"I could have too," Harry counters.

"I should have taken you somewhere else sooner, or like, fought harder to make them find our reservation," Louis says.

"I told you not to," Harry says.

"I could have like, just called work back right away so they wouldn't have kept fucking interrupting," Louis says.

"It's really okay, what's not okay is that you didn't call me," Harry says.

"I didn't, I mean, I'm sure you don't want to see me again and that's fine, I get it, but I didn’t want to hear it," Louis says as the kitchen behind him starts to smell like toast and coffee and tea and as his head stabs again.

"Louis, do you really think I came all the way here, in the snow, to tell you I don't want to see again?" Harry asks. Louis blinks.

"Is it still snowing?" he asks, because his head hurts and he's sort of an idiot sometimes, okay?

"It wasn't an awful date," Harry says.

"No?"

"I really, I just I mean parts of it were awful but it was still the best date I've been on in a really long time," Harry says.

"It was?" Louis asks. Harry nods and shrugs his coat off andwalks towards Louis.

"I would really like to keep seeing you. You owe me karaoke and a real restaurant and I've already thought of dozens of other things I'd like to do with you," Harry says, and he's like, all the way into Louis' space and Louis can't help himself, not at all. He reaches out and grabs one of Harry's belt loops and pulls him in even closer.

"I do want to hear you sing," Louis says.

"You have to call me for that," Harry says,

"I know, I was just so worried I'd ruined it and I," Louis takes a deep breath, "I couldn’t stand the thought that I'd ruined things with you, because I really, you're kind of wonderful and I really like you, and I thought I'd chased you away," Louis says.

"I really like you too," Harry says.

"Do you?"

"You're pretty damn wonderful yourself," Harry says, and that's. Louis tugs him in a little closer, trying not to bump his wrist or anything, and even through the throbbing in his head he's never wanted to kiss someone so much in his whole life, so he does. He tilts his head up and he kisses Harry and Harry kisses back right away, grabbing and Louis with his good hand and it's. Pretty damn wonderful, really.

"I just have sort of a shit track record," Louis says.

"Don't we all?" Harry asks. Louis can't see how to answer that with anything but kissing Harry again, really. They wrap themselves in each other and kiss and then they fall over the side of the couch in their enthusiasm.

"Fuck, is your wrist okay?" Louis asks.

"I didn't even feel it. Your head?" Harry asks from on top of him, hands running all over Louis, seeming to very much enjoy the fact that he's shirtless.

"I'll manage," Louis says, kissing him again, kissing him until Liam clears his throat and tells them to come eat.

***

He arrives at Liam and Zayn's early to help them set up and he's actually brought some food with him this time, not that he made it himself or anything, but still. Harry is coming over too, and Niall and his girlfriend who Louis still doesn't believe exists and whose name he always forgets, but it will be the first time they've all sat down and it's like a family dinner or something and Louis is sort of excited about it.

Liam and Zayn are in fantastic moods too, singing along to whatever is on the radio as they cook. Well, as Liam cooks and Zayn sort of helps a little. Kind of.

"Tell Louis now," Liam says about ten minutes before everyone else is due.

"I thought we were waiting," Zayn says.

"Yeah but, Louis," Liam says, and Zayn grins and ducks his head a little and says,

"You don't have to make fun of my job anymore," Zayn says.

"I have never made fun of your job," Louis says. Zayn flushes,

"I um, am officially on payroll now? I got offered, it's teaching like, basic drawing to adults who haven't taken an art class since grade school or whatever, but I also get studio space to put my own stuff up and I get to go to all the important fundraisers and shit, and it's, you know, forty hours a week and all," Zayn says. Liam has turned around and is beaming like Louis has never seen, like he's almost too proud to contain himself. Louis stands up and picks Zayn up and sweeps him into a giant hug, because he's feeling pretty proud himself, really.

"That's amazing, seriously," Louis says, squeezing Zayn tightly.

"Whatever," Zayn says.

"It is," Liam puts in. Louis grins at both of them and then pulls Liam in close too so he's holding both of them and says,

"While we're celebrating, thank you."

"For?" Zayn questions.

"Finding Harry, letting me sleep in your bed, finding Harry," Louis says.

"I'm so glad you like him," Liam says.

"I thought you would," Zayn says.

"Oh! And thank you for saving him from printer death!" Louis says. Zayn laughs.

"It was the least I could do," he says.

"What would I do without you?" Louis says, and Liam and Zayn exchange a look at that, like maybe they're worried he'll start with his drunken feelings from the other night so he adds, "it's a good thing I'll never have to find out."

"It is, as we'd be lost without you, really," Liam says, smiling.

"I know," Louis says, letting them both go and reaching into his pocket for his buzzing phone, "Harry's here!"

He bolts to the door to open it before Harry even gets there and he opens it and pulls Harry inside, kissing him and pulling him in close because he's in a fantastic fucking mood and because he hasn't seen Harry in like, five hours and he's missed him and because. Harry.

"Hello to you too," Harry says, all smiles against Louis' lips.

"I missed you," Louis says, impulsive and probably not what you should say to someone you've just started dating and you only saw five hours ago. But Harry isn't, Harry makes Louis feel like he doesn't have to worry about rules and timetables or whatever because he says,

"I missed you too," and snakes his good hand into the back pocket of Louis' pants and gives him an affectionate squeeze and like, he might actually be perfect or something. Louis just. Wants to keep him close forever.

"That's what I like to hear," he says. Harry beams and kisses him again and then pulls back a little to call to Liam and Zayn.

"Hi guys, I brought dessert," which is when Louis notices the small tin of something fantastic looking at Harry's feet.

"I didn't make you drop those, did I?" Louis asks.

"I put them down," Harry says, grinning and kissing Louis again. Louis bends down and picks them up for Harry and Harry smiles and tugs on Louis' hand and says, "Let's go help them," and pulls Louis toward the kitchen.

They head into the kitchen and flakes of snow swirl outside the window, and the kitchen is so warm and Louis is so happy that he thinks that maybe, once Niall shows up, maybe it wouldn't be so bad if they all got snowed in tonight. Stuck in the best possible situation isn't really like stuck at all.

Then again, maybe if they don't he could take Harry back to his apartment. He could sleep in his own bed with Harry with him, he could be there and not be so dreadfully lonely. That sounds- that sounds fucking fantastic actually, so he whispers in Harry's ear,

"Did you want to come back to my place after? For the night?" and when Harry says,

"God, yes, I was hoping you'd ask," Louis thinks maybe his own apartment is a better place than he's ever given it credit for being. He pulls Harry in close and Niall texts that he's running late so they all open so wine to wait and Louis is just. Really, really happy.

He closes his eyes for a minute and just lets himself feel it, and pulls Harry in even tighter, trying to hold onto the feeling for as long as he can. He has a feeling that this time he'll be able to. That maybe now happy is clinging to Louis just as tight as he's clinging to it. It's a good feeling.

He plans to keep it.

***  



End file.
